Germany’s Koala Wanderers here for SAIWAI event

The Koala Wanderers International Club from Germany arrived on Saipan yesterday morning and will participate in tomorrow’s World Walking Day walk organized by the Saipan Walking Association Inc.

Club manager Manfred Trettin leads Koala Wanderers’ five-person contingent. He said they are pretty much excited in participating in the walk, celebrating World Walking Day, and getting to know fellow “walkers” on Saipan.

“[We are here on Saipan and participating in the walk] to strengthen a young friendship and to force an active exchange of ideas,” said Trettin.

SAIWAI director Mario Espeleta welcomed Trettin and his wife Eva, Adam Hiel, Tita Krtamer, and Fraulein Vos at the Saipan International Airport. He said like SAIWAI the Koala Wanderers are also members of the International Federation of Popular Sports or IVV.

“The Koala Wanderers has contributed to IVV Volkssport and has visited us in a unified effort to expand the sport and form a partnership with their IVV walking friends here on Saipan,” he said.

The World Walking Day walk would feature two courses—a 10-kilometer and a shorter 5-km. It begins with registration at 4pm at the Chamolinian Cultural Village in Garapan.

The 10km walk will take participants from the starting point near the Garapan Basketball Court to the turnaround at the Oleai Beach Club and back to the Chamolinian Cultural Village.

The shorter course, available for children and for those desiring a more leisurely walk, will have a turnaround at the Japanese Tank Memorial across Quatermaster Road.

Registration for the event is $6, which would entitle participants to a T-shirt and refreshments after the activity. The proceeds from the event will be donated to the Marianas March Against Cancer.

Like all SAIWAI activities, the IVV will be sanctioning the World Walking Day walk. IVV members will receive credit for joining the event.

The IVV has member walking clubs in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, Turkey, Nepal, Australia, New Zealand, the CNMI, and 29 other European countries, including Germany.

For more information regarding the SAIWAI World Walking Day walk, contact Bea at 322-2725 or Mario at 322-8876. For more information on the Koala Wanderers, click on www.koala-wanderers.de.

SAIWAI was incorporated as a non-profit corporation on July 27, 2001 and was established to promote public health through non-competitive walking.